Steel transport companies in Ontario: Fission hauls plate, beams, rebar and pipe
Fission Logistics is one of the steel transport companies in Ontario that runs its own fleet, 80 trucks and 140 trailers, out of Mississauga since 2012. We haul steel plate, beams, columns, rebar, pipe and coil for mills, service centres, fabricators, distributors and importers across Ontario, into Quebec and into 6 US states. Most of it rides dry under a curtain, and the heavy Ontario orders that would take 2 tandems go on 1 multi axle unit. This page covers steel in general. Each product has its own page with the securement detail.
Steel we haul in Ontario
The product decides the trailer. Plate, rebar and short pieces load from the side by forklift and ride under a curtain. Long beams and loose pipe load from the top by crane and ride on an open deck. Heavy orders staying inside Ontario, or going into Michigan, ride a multi axle unit. Every row is 45,000 lb on a tandem, more on the 6 axle. Each row below links to the product page with the securement detail written out.
| Product | Trailer we send | Where it ships |
|---|---|---|
| Steel plate, skidded or single heavy pieces | Conestoga for skidded plate, open flatbed for long or wide plate, 6 axle for heavy orders | Mill or service centre to fabricators and machine shops, Ontario and the US |
| Beams and columns, wide flange, angle, channel, HSS | Open flatbed, 53 ft tandem, with permits and flags for overlength pieces | Service centre to fabricator, fabricator to jobsite, Ontario and the US |
| Rebar, bundled | Conestoga when it has to stay clean, open flatbed when the crane wants the top | Mill or distributor to jobsites and rebar fabricators across Southern Ontario |
| Pipe, loose or bundled, bare or coated | Open flatbed for bare pipe, Conestoga for coated pipe | Mill or coater to pipe yards, distributors and jobsites, Ontario and the US |
| Coil, see steel coil transport | Conestoga, open flatbed or 6 axle | Hamilton and port pickups to Ontario, Quebec and the US |
The fleet behind the table is 140 trailers: 90 Rolltite Conestogas, 10 open flatbeds and 16 multi axle curtainsides, plus step decks, double drops and dry vans. 106 of the 140 are curtainside, which is why most steel we carry arrives without a tarp ever touching it. Every open flatbed and Conestoga carries chains, straps, timbers and edge protection as standard gear, and drivers work from Fission's written securement procedure for each product.
Who ships steel with us
The same 5 kinds of shipper book us year after year, and the order looks different from each one.
- Mills and processors. Plate and structural shapes leaving the mill for service centres and fabricators, often heavy enough that the 6 axle makes it 1 truck instead of 2.
- Steel service centres. Cut plate, bar, HSS and beams going out to fabricators and machine shops, usually mixed orders on a Conestoga so every skid stays dry and every stop opens from the side.
- Fabricators. Finished beams, columns and assemblies going to the jobsite, with the driver calling the site before arrival so the crane is ready.
- Distributors. Rebar, pipe and building steel to contractors, often with several drops on 1 trailer.
- Importers. Plate, beams and pipe off the ship at Canadian and US ports, moved to Ontario plants in bond under Fission's own US Customs bond when it lands on the US side.
Brokers book the same trucks, dispatched from Mississauga under Fission's own authority, and the carrier packet goes out the same business day.
Steel hauling companies in Ontario: how to compare
Steel hauling companies in Ontario quote the same lanes. The difference is what shows up at the dock and what happens when the order is heavy, late or crossing the bridge. Here are 6 checks, each with Fission's answer.
- Does the carrier run its own trucks under its own authority? Fission runs 80 trucks and 140 trailers under its own authority, USDOT 2322171 and MC 792691, dispatched from Mississauga, so the dispatcher who quotes the load is the one who knows where the truck is.
- What trailer types are in the fleet? 90 Rolltite Conestogas, 10 open flatbeds, 16 multi axle curtainsides, 4 step decks and 3 double drops, so plate, beams, rebar and pipe each have a deck in the fleet.
- How much can 1 truck carry inside Ontario? Up to 86,000 lb on Fission's 6 axle multi axle flatbed inside Ontario and into Michigan, against 45,000 lb on a tandem, at legal weight with no overweight permit.
- Can it cross the border, and under whose bond? Fission is CTPAT validated, PIP, FAST and CSA approved, files the ACE or ACI eManifest on every load, and moves US port steel to Ontario in bond under its own US Customs bond.
- Can you see the truck? Every Fission tractor runs Samsara live GPS tracking. Ask dispatch for the link or track your load.
- How fast is the quote? Within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, Monday to Friday, with the trailer named in the quote.
One more number: Fission's claims ratio is under 0.1 percent, and Northbridge Insurance rates the fleet Elite, the top 5 percent of Canadian fleets on safety management. Figures as of October 2026.
Where the steel moves
Ontario's steel moves between Hamilton, the GTA and the plants along the 401 in Kitchener and Cambridge, London and Windsor. Steel for Toronto plants and downtown jobsites is covered under flatbed trucking Toronto. Quebec loads run to Montreal and Quebec City on tandems and 4 axle units, with the detail on the Quebec and Western Canada page.
Cross border steel clears at Detroit or Buffalo into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, and the 6 axle runs into Michigan, Ohio and Indiana at multi axle weights. Detroit runs both ways, with US steel coming north to Ontario plants. Imported steel comes off the ship at Hamilton, Oshawa, the Quebec ports and the US East Coast and Great Lakes ports listed under port trucking. Full regions are on the Ontario flatbed trucking page.
How to book a steel load
- Send the pickup and the delivery, with the release number if the mill or service centre issued one and the gate hours or crane window at the receiver.
- Name the product and how it is loaded: skidded plate by forklift from the side, beams by crane from the top, bundled rebar, loose or bundled pipe, coated or bare.
- Give the piece count, the total weight and the size of the largest piece. Over 45,000 lb inside Ontario, say so and dispatch prices the multi axle. Over 102 inches wide or overlength, say so and dispatch prices the permit with the load.
- For a cross border or port load, send the commercial invoice and your customs broker's contact. Your broker files under Fission's bond with written authorization from Fission.
- Send it through the form on this page or request a quote. You get a price within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, Monday to Friday, with the trailer named. Dispatch answers 24 hours at (905) 799 7900, press 1.
Questions shippers ask
Which steel transport companies in Ontario run 6 axle trailers?
Fission runs 16 multi axle curtainsides, 8 four axle and 8 six axle, inside a fleet of 140 trailers. The 6 axle carries up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario at legal weight. US weights and the 4 axle detail are on the multi axle page. Send the weight and the lane and dispatch tells you whether the order goes on 1 multi axle or 2 tandems.
Do you haul steel cross border?
Yes, both ways, through Detroit and Buffalo into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Fission is CTPAT validated, PIP, FAST and CSA approved, and dispatch files the ACE or ACI eManifest on every load. You use your own customs broker. Imported steel off a US port moves to Ontario in bond under Fission's own US Customs bond.
Can steel ride covered?
Yes. 106 of our 140 trailers are curtainside, including 90 Rolltite Conestogas that clear loads up to 102 inches tall. The roof and curtains slide open for the crane or forklift and close over the steel, so plate, rebar, pipe and short beams arrive dry with no tarp touching them. Long beams and anything taller than the curtain frame go on an open flatbed, tarped if you ask.
Do you pick up at Hamilton mills and service centres?
Yes, every working day. Detail is on the flatbed carrier Hamilton page, linked below. Send the release number and the pickup window with the quote request.
What is the heaviest piece of steel you move?
On a single truck, the 6 axle load, as one piece or as a stack. A tandem takes 45,000 lb. A load heavier than the 6 axle takes, or wider than 102 inches, is quoted after dispatch checks the permit route. Send the weight and dimensions of the largest piece and dispatch names the trailer.
How do I get a steel hauling quote?
Send the pickup, the delivery, the product, the piece count, the total weight and the date through the quote form or to dispatch. You get a price within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, Monday to Friday. Dispatch answers the phone 24 hours at (905) 799 7900, press 1.
Related
Rather talk it through?
Call dispatch with the load and the lane. They'll tell you which trailer it goes on, and someone picks up 24 hours a day.